Your Servant is Calling
by Petraverd
Summary: Series of Psalmfics, concerning various thoughts of Tirian's as he fights the Last Battle.
1. Psalm 86: Your Servant is Calling

**A/N: **Yet another unexpected stroke of inspiration. Psalm 86 is my favorite passage in the Bible, and when I read it for the who-knows-whicheth time tonight, one of my favorite Narnians sprang to mind: Tirian, the last King of Narnia. The two went together so well in my mind that I had to write this. Narnia, Tirian, and Aslan are not mine, and neither is the Psalm this is based on.

* * *

_Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.  
__Guard my life, for I am devoted to you. You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.  
__Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long.  
__Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul._

Here I stand, Tirian, the King of Narnia, before these Calormenes and this ape who lie through their teeth. Here I am, having to bear these terrible, false things they are spewing about the Lion I have loved all my life. I cannot stand for it. I am not sure how the others can, but I know that I have had enough of it. My mouth acts of its own accord, telling all who will listen that the Ape lies, but it does not seem to be enough.

And now they take me away, tie me to a tree, and I know that if I remain here my life will be short. I am in need of food, of drink, of friends. My life is now in the paws of Aslan, the True Aslan who I have followed all of my days, and I can only pray that he will keep it safe, that he will protect his servant. For now he is the only one I can call on, and hope that he will have mercy on me.

* * *

_You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.  
__Hear my prayer, O Lord; listen to my cry for mercy.  
__In the day of my trouble I will call to you, for you will answer me._

Those dear Mice, and Moles, and the Rabbit have just left, having given me food and drink, and company. The True Aslan does love me after all, as I have received what I have needed. It is to him now that I turn. All the stories of Narnia in peril have Aslan at the back of them. And children from another world as well. Once again I cannot help myself – I call out for Aslan's help, and only silence is my answer. I call for those children from beyond this world, and this time I am rewarded with a dream, or more likely a vision. And when I awake, as depressing as it is to pull myself from that dream, I know that an answer will come, for answer always comes from the One I call on, when His people are in peril.

* * *

_Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.  
__All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name.  
__For you are great and do marvelous deed; you alone are God._

Despite the desperate situation that unfolds before us, I cannot help but suppress a small smile. Though the Calormenes call on Tash and call Tash and Aslan the same, I know the truth. It is only Aslan that is the rightful Sovereign of Narnia. In time they will come to know that, and will realize just how wrong they are. For what is Tash compared to Aslan? Aslan who died and was resurrected, Aslan who struck down the White Witch, Aslan who overthrew Miraz and set the Prince Caspian on his rightful throne, Aslan who led these same two who are with me now to find the Prince Rilian. Only one such as Aslan could and would do such things for Narnia's sake. And it is He I follow now.

* * *

_Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.  
__I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.  
__For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave._

These Dwarfs worry me, for they now disbelieve the True Aslan as well as the false. I can only hope that they are not signs of what is to come, that the others will not also turn away from the True Aslan. For now I will have to be strong in my walk in His pawprints. He who sent these two children from another place to rescue me from death at the hands of the Calormenes, He who I know loves me greatly, I will follow him and the truth he stands for. My heart will not be shaken, for I know the truth and will stand with it as long as I live. For it is His name that deserves the glory, not the Ape and his lies, and it is His name that will receive it.

* * *

_The arrogant are attacking me, O God; a band of ruthless men seeks my life – men without regard for you.  
__But you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.  
__Turn to me and have mercy on me; grant your strength to your servant and save the son of your maidservant._

I find myself edging nearer and nearer to the dreaded door as I fight with Rishda. He and his men seek to kill myself, my companions, my friends, and everything we stand for. They do not care for Aslan, and merely want the power. As I fight for my life, all I can do is hope. Hope that Aslan will have mercy on me, that he will give me the strength I need, that he will either deliver Narnia from this evil or deliver me into his own paws. His servant is fighting for him, and He will do what He sees fit. I can only hope it is to save me.

* * *

_Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me._

And now I find that I am through the stable door, and it is not the dismal doom that I expected. Instead I find Him, He who I depended on during this entire journey, and him that gave me the help and the strength and the comfort to get through it. I watch in wonder and amazement as both friends and enemies come to the door and look into His face, and as He draws all that is His to Himself.

And I am content and thankful and blessed, for in my time of need, He was there, because His servant called on Him.


	2. Psalm 77: Finding Faith in the Past

**A/N: **Well, this was a bit unexpected. I came across Psalm 77 during my morning devotions the other day, and I just had to add to this. It fit Tirian too well. So, I wrote this as an addition to my piece based on Psalm 86. Enjoy! Tirian, Aslan, Narnia, and anything else you may recoginze do not belong to me, and nor does Psalm 77.

* * *

_I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me.  
__When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted._

I stood there tied to the tree, for what else could I do? Narnia was in danger, and I could only stand here, a prisoner of a terrible ape and these wretched Calormenes. My dearest friend in all the world had been taken away and was a captive as well. Roonwit had run for Cair Paravel. There was nobody left to help me. Nobody but the Great Lion Himself. My soul longed to see Him, to hear His voice, to know that He would set things right. But my soul could not be put at ease, for no golden Lion came to me. Try as I might, I could not feel his presence at all. I was alone, I was despairing, and my country was falling.

* * *

_I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint.  
__You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. _

The longer I stood there, the more I longed for some sign that all would be right. The ropes binding me to the tree became more uncomfortable, my spirit sank, and my heart fell. Even sleep would be a welcome distraction now, but that did not come either. I was too troubled for sleep, or to even call out into the darkness for some form of help. I remembered how the ape had said Tash and Aslan were the same, and I remembered the True Aslan. Where was He now?

* * *

_I thought about the former days, the years of long ago;  
__I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired:  
__"Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again?  
__Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time?  
__Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"_

He had always come when He was needed most. History had always been my favorite subject, and especially the bits where He had come in. He had delivered Narnia from a terrible Witch. He had establisheda young Prince Caspian X in his rightful throne. There was the time he called forth two children from another world to rescue the Prince Rilian. And he had even created the world, singing it into existence. According to the stories, he had protected this land from the very beginning. So where was He now? What greater peril could Narnia be in than this? Had he given up on Narnia? On me? Did I not matter to him anymore? I had always been taught that he loved His faithful and His country. Had I been taught wrong?

* * *

_Then I thought, "To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High."  
__I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.  
__I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds._

I shoook my head to erase it of such thoughts. He had never failed His people. I was sure that there were times when His faithful had their doubts, but it had always come right in the end. The winter the Witch had created had lasted a hundred years. Rilian had been missing for ten years before he was rescued. How often had the Narnians despaired then? I had only been aware of the developing evil plan for a short time. Who was I to question His ways? Instead I contented myself to reflect upon all the wonders He had done in the past. The stories were full of them. Bringing statues back to life, turning a dragon human again... I could not even fathom all that He had done. Though it did nothing to help my own situation, I found myself somewhat comforted by the memories of what all Aslan did for His beloved country.

* * *

_Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God?  
__You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.  
__With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.  
__The waters saw you, O God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed.  
__The clouds poured down water, the skies resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth.  
__Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked._

Some things associated with Aslan were quite difficult to believe, I had to admit. But all it did was demonstrate the might power he had. And how could Tash compare to one such as Aslan? Such a false god could not hold a candle to the awesome power of the Lion. According to the story, the waters of Narnia, the earth itself had come into existence at his voice. With His mighty song, he formed the whole of Narnia, its creatures, its waters, everything about it. The entire country had been shaped by the power of his voice alone. He could do so much more now, but He would do it in his own time. He could shake the entire world if He wanted, he could send tremendous storms, toss the sea, but He would do what He saw fit.

* * *

_Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.  
__You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron._

And then I thought of Caspian X's great sea voyage, and how Aslan had been the true leader of that voyage. I thought of the story of King Cor of Archenland, and how Aslan had seemed to be at the back of his story too, though not quite as obviously as He was in the others. Perhaps He was at work even now, in ways that I could not see. He would lead His people, in His way, in His time. All I could do was ask. So I did: I threw back my head and called to Aslan, and to the children He sent to aid Him. And I was not dissapointed. For after a tremendous vision, two of those children came to my own aid. And my soul was refreshed, ready anew to serve the Highest of all High Kings. He would lead, and I would follow wherever He led. I was ready for the adventure that He would send me.


	3. Psalm 12: Lying Lips

**A/N**: Yet another unexpected one. It's amazing how well a lot of the Psalms work in a Narnian setting. I'm even more amazed that more people don't seem to notice. Ah well. I certainly enjoy writing these, so I doubt I'll stop anytime soon. Came across Psalm 12 and the bit about lying lips and boastful tongues reminded me of the lies spread in The Last Battle, which was how this one came about. Bit shorter than the others, but then again, it's a short Psalm. Again, Tirian, Narnia, Aslan and anything else you might recognize is not mine, nor is the Psalm this is based on.

_

* * *

Help, Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.  
__Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception._

Hidden from view, I cannot help but seethe at the terrible lies this Ape and these wretched Calormenes spill. Are there no more faithful Narnians save my friends and I? Are we truly all that are left? I hope against hope that we are not, but with all the lies and deceit going around I have the sinking feeling that we are. The faithful have truly vanished from the face of the earth, and all thanks to the falsehoods these wicked men spew from the mouths. Nobody knows what to believe anymore, for nobody knows who speaks the truth. And the chaos that has spread from such has only hurt our cause

Oh, if only Aslan would come and strike them down where they stand! These arrogant men, that spiteful Ape, those awful atrocities and blasphemies they speak! They are sure they have won, they are certain that Narnia will be theirs, but as long as I live, I shall do whatever I can to rescue my country from them. Narnia belongs to no one but Aslan and His people, and if I have to cut out every lying tongue I see I will do so. They may have no master but greed and lust for power, but the Master I serve is much greater than that. Even if I fall, I am confident He will take victory in his own time.

* * *

"_Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the Lord. "I will protect them from those who malign them."  
__And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.  
__O Lord, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever._

And that time is now. I and my friends surge forward, fiercely fighting for our country, our lives, and for the One we all have given our lives to. The fight is nothing more than a blur when I must fight against so many, but I soon find myself clean, cool and refreshed, inside the stable, which is quite different than I expected it to be. And as the Lion approaches, I find that His time is Now. He has come not just to rescue His country and His people, but to draw them all into Himself. He has arisen and brought His oppressed faithful into His protection. And I know, as I have known all along, that no one who serves the Lion will ever be unprotected. He keeps his faithful safe from those who try to destroy them.

_

* * *

_

The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

And I think back on those wretched men who tried to defy the Great Lion back in the Shadowlands. They were so quick to show their power and might when their evil deeds were seen as beneficial, but now that the Lion has arrived, there is no room for them. It has been hard for me to stand for the right thing in such times. But as it stands, the reward of being here, with the Lion I love, is worth it.

I would have it no other way.


End file.
